Would You Recommend Alloderm for my Revision? (photo)

I am 2 years post-op, seeking a breast augmentation revision. My current implants are 475cc, high profile saline, sub-muscular. I have consulted with many local surgeons, half of which suggest using Alloderm, and the others advise against it. In addition, I had about the same split advice when it came to whether or not I should get/need a lift. The results of my previous surgery have stretched my skin very thin and I develop very noticeable rippling on the sides of my breasts when I lean forward

Doctor Answers (11)

Do you need Alloderm?

August 2nd, 2012

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Alloderm has been used when tissue was deficient and to help camouflage implant issues such as rippling. If you were not averse to gel implants, gel implants are known to help diminish rippling. As for the thinned skin and large areola, mastopexies can be used to help improve the appearances of your breast but rather than employ Alloderm at the additional costs and risks of using it, my preference would be to overlap your inferior poles as part of the mastopexy, doubling the thickness of your inferior coverage and providing a longer lasting lift. This technique has worked very well in my patients with your current results.

Breast Revision Surgery

July 23rd, 2012

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This is a great question and a difficult one to answer without an exam. From your breast pictures posted, I believe a smaller less projected implant should be utilized. Also, silicone gel implants would decrease the incidence of rippling. If your breast tissue is thin and inelastic at the lower portion of the breast, then an acellular dermis would be beneficial to prevent bottoming out in the future and to help with rippling. I agree with the previous surgeon's post, that Strattice, not Alloderm would be a good choice due to the non-stretch characteristics and the cost would be much cheaper.

Use of ADM may not be the complete solution

July 16th, 2012

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Thanks for posting this important question. Use of acellular dermal matrix eg. Alloderm can be a useful adjunctive treatment for the correction of rippling. Probably the better answer is to reduce both the size and projection of the implants. The tissue thinning that you describe is the inevitable consequence of large highly projecting implants. Conversion to silicone gel implants would be another consideration.

Breast Implant Revision Pictures

Would You Recommend Alloderm for my Revision?

July 16th, 2012

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Thanks for the posted photos. Very hard to advise over the internet without an in person examination. I do recommend in your case acellular dermal matrix implantation with a possible lifting. But again best to obtain in person evaluations from boarded PSS in your city. Keep looking.

Breast implant revision without Alloderm

July 15th, 2012

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Thank you for posting informative pictures. If this was your only operation, I would recommend replacing your implants with Sientra cohesive anatomical round base shaped 425cc implants. This needs to be done after careful and meticulous pocket recreation with sutures. You likely would not need Alloderm or any other ADM if the next surgery would be your second. Best of luck.

Alloderm and Breast Revision

July 14th, 2012

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Hello,

Please refer to my response to your post from yesterday in addition to this one. To be sure, your implants have descended below the inframammary fold and out from under the subpectoral cover, but the usage of Alloderm, Srattice, or any other ADM might only be necessary if you made the (wrong) decision to stick with these large, high profile implants. The ADM would be used to reinforce the internal capsule's plication upon itself, known as a capsulorrhaphy. This is not the only way to reposition an implant, and another effective way is to recreate a new subpectoral space between the top of the current capsule and the muscle, allowing the capsule to collapse upon itself.

The other issue is your attenuated and over-expanded skin/tissue in the lower pole. The need for a lift can be determined in an objective (not opinion based) way by taking measurements of the distance from the nipple to where the new fold will be and comparing that distance to the size of the new implant's measurements. If the distance is greater, a lift is needed. If a lift is needed, then an anchor incision lift would remove the most injured tissue and give the prettiest shape.

I hope you can come to a quick resolution to this and get the results you had originally hoped for!

Breast lift

July 14th, 2012

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I would suggest a vertical breast lift and switch to smaller implants. also,you might want to consider switching to,silicone gel implants because they won't ripple as mcu and will feel more natural. Trying to stay with such large implants will,continue to create problems especially since your skin is so,thin.

Strattice for Support in Breast Revision

July 14th, 2012

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I agree with the surgeons who opted for a dermal matrix product for support and to diminish rippling but I prefer Strattice (porcine dermis) to Alloderm (human dermis) for this. (they both are made by the same company - Lifecell) The Strattice stretches less which is important in your case and also is significantly cheaper.

Breast implant revision

July 14th, 2012

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Your skin and frame was not able to hold the 475cc saline implants. A revision with lateral capsule plication and new smaller moderate plus profile silicone implants with mastopexy is what I would do. Good luck. Alloderm is nice and I like it but is very expensive. You need a doctor who is willing to take time with you since this is a higher risk procedure.

Best Option for Revisionary Breast Surgery?

July 14th, 2012

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Thank you for the question and pictures.

Although direct examination and a full communication of your goals will be necessary to provide you with precise advice, I think you will do well with capsulorraphy techniques to “reconstruct” the breast implant pockets and control the positioning of the breast implants. This operation does require significant experience in my opinion; be careful with your selection of plastic surgeon.

Given your description of “very noticeable rippling”, the use of allograft along the sides of the breasts may also be helpful.

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as
a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you
have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute
or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.